A festive rosy and green drink is made with a traditional rum punch theme, but using fresh cranberries and mint.
By Aysegül Sanford
I wanted a rum punch recipe that truly takes it up a notch and would be appropriate for the season. That is when I decided to use the fresh cranberries I had in the fridge. But for my kind of rum punch, I decided to use a good quality rum, such as Flor de Caña. The idea was making a quick cranberry juice and mixing it with freshly squeezed lime juice and rum. Though it looked pretty, it needed some color. That is why, at the last minute, I added fresh mint leaves to both enhance the flavor and give it a nice contrast of color making it a perfect drink for the holidays. 
As you can see in the pictures, it not only looked very festive, but also ended up being a perfect Caribbean style holiday drink that I will be making in the years to come.
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Cranberry Rum Punch with Mint
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 drinks 1x
Description
A festive rosy and green drink is made with a traditional rum punch theme, but using fresh cranberries and mint.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) fresh cranberries (picked over and washed)
- 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of water
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar (divided)
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (washed and dried - plus more for garnishing)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) lime juice (freshly squeezed from 4-5 limes)
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) rum (such as Flor de Cana)
Instructions
- Place the cranberries, water, and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Stirring regularly, bring it to a boil, and then, let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the granulated sugar completely dissolves. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- In the mean time, place fresh mint leaves and 3 tbsp in a measuring cup. Mash it with a muddler until mint leaves are completely bruised and sugar is dissolved.
- Strain the cranberry syrup into a pitcher. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cranberries for garnishing, for later.
- Add the lime juice, rum, and mint in to the pitcher. Stir it until they are all mixed.
- Strain the mixture through a medium mash strainer pressing gently to make sure you get all the juices out of the mint leaves.
- Pour it over tall glasses filled with ice cubes, and garnish each glass with fresh mint leaves and reserved cranberries.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cocktails
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 drink
- Calories: 200
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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- Grilled Mojito Salmon with Pepper and Mint Salsa
- Blackberry Mint Margaritas
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe make its own cranberry juice rather than using store-bought?
The recipe simmers 2½ cups of fresh cranberries with 2½ cups of water and ½ cup of sugar for 10 minutes to make a fresh cranberry syrup. The author wanted a punch that “truly takes it up a notch” using the fresh cranberries she had in the fridge, and the homemade syrup has a brighter, more concentrated flavor than bottled juice.
Why are the mint leaves mashed with sugar rather than simply added to the pitcher?
The recipe muddles the ½ cup of fresh mint leaves with 3 tbsp of sugar until the leaves are completely bruised and the sugar is dissolved. Bruising the mint breaks open the cells and releases the essential oils that give the punch its flavor and the festive green color contrast the author was looking for.
Does it matter what type of rum I use?
The article specifies using “a good quality rum, such as Flor de Caña” — 1½ cups total. The author’s intent was a proper Caribbean-style holiday drink rather than a standard sugary punch, so a clean, quality rum makes a noticeable difference.
